Crack the </Code> for... Anxiety

I am not a doctor by any means. I can't cure your anxiety, but I can help you manage the symptoms to the point where it becomes second nature.

Here's a list of things that made my anxiety more manageable.

1. Therapy

I know it might seem either obvious or daunting but it is something that has really helped me reduce my anxiety. It is helpful having a person that has to listen to you and give you strategies to help make the thing you are afraid of less scary. A therapist can give you plans on what to do when you feel anxious or ways to prevent it or at least lessen it.

2. Medication

It might sound scary, but I was excited to get on medication for anxiety. Medication is another tool in my toolbox to manage my anxiety. I used to have anxiety attacks multiple times a day, now it has been less since starting an anti-anxiety regiment. It does not work for everyone, but it is an option that everyone has the right to try something to make themselves feel better when they feel sick.

3. 5 Senses

For each of the five senses, you pick sensory activities that are calming and distracting. For example, for vision, I enjoy coloring and drawing. I use coloring books (for kids or adults) and internet printouts. For hearing, listening to calming music of any type, my personal favorite is Celtic and baby lullabies. Also, listening to a guided meditation soothes my anxiety. For smell, I use essential oils and perfume. I use the essential oil on my wrists, in my necklace, and an oil diffuser. For taste, I eat candy or lollipops. Something that lasts longer like hard candy helps to calm me down for a longer period of time. For touch, I cuddle with stuffed animals and wear comfy clothes like PJs or sweats.

4. Music

There are two ways to use music. You can listen to music that matches how you feel or you can listen to music that is how you want to feel. Often I will use music that is how I want to feel and it will change my mood into a more positive area.

5. T.V.

Television helps me feel like I'm not alone while I'm anxious. Also, T.V. is a great distraction when you get overwhelmed. I get super into what the characters are doing and then I become immersed in the show's world. Then I completely leave my problems behind while I am in the fantasy world of television.

6. Breathing Exercises

Breathing is the only thing we have control over that is a physical response to stress. It can help lower your heart rate and reduce hyperventilation. There are many breathing exercises to do. Square breathing, deep breathing, and meditation on the breath are all good examples of how to use breathing in a way to calm you down.

7. Art

Different from the coloring in number 3, art for anxiety is a way to draw your worries or to help visually explain how you feel before you can find the words to describe how you feel. My favorite drawing prompts are drawing/outlining your body with chalk and then filling it with words and drawings that you think fit in those areas, drawing your mind, and drawing two opposite but equal forces and then naming them.

8. Support Groups

Support groups have made my life full of amazing people who understand me. There are support groups for everything. Aside from the more well known 12 Step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, there is Emotions Anonymous. Also, mood disorder groups, anxiety support groups, and other support groups for literally any and everything. Google whatever bothers you followed by "support group" and you are likely to find other people who struggle with the same things you do.